Penny Farthing bicycle - A man in a suit and tie standing next to an old fashioned bicycle

Bicycles and Tricycles

Geoff Charles was a photojournalist who worked for over 50 years capturing images of Wales with his camera. From the 1930s onwards he worked extensively in north and mid Wales for newspapers such as The Wrexham Star, The Montgomeryshire Express and Y Cymro. On his retirement in 1975 he gave his collection of about 120,000 negatives to The National Library of Wales. The work of digitising this enormous collection began in 2000, and at present just over 30,000 of his images of Wales in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s are available on the National Library's website.

The penny-farthing bicycle was not only a means of transport but also a symbol of social status. The larger the front wheel, the more expensive and prestigious the bicycle was considered to be. However, riding a penny farthing was not without its dangers. Because of the size of the rider, falls could be quite serious and even fatal. Despite its limitations, the penny farthing played an important role in the development of the bicycle and paved the way for future innovations in transport. Its unique design and cultural significance continue to capture the imagination of people around the world.